Spacecraft Classifications

Contents

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As spacefaring races reached for the stars and naturally found the obligation to battle within them as well, they realized a need for an assault craft that wasn't as unwieldy as larger warships but packed more punch than traditional starfighters. The outcome was the swift, yet deadly, corvette classification of ship.

Corvettes typically filled reconnaissance roles due to their incredible manueverability and low yield weapons, but still packed a punch when organized into 'wolf packs', groups that have been noted to take down ships three times to size of their member craft. However, for battles of attrition fleets typically had a Combat Corvette classification capable of weaving in and out of capital ship crossfire to deliver deadly payloads of missiles and lasers. Whilst laden more heavily than their smaller cousins, they sacrificed little of the maneuverability, and as with their counterparts, the sole pilot also acted as the commander of the vessel.

A long used but stalwart and reliable class, they formed the bulk of many fleets but oftentimes didn't need the support to be combat effective. With multiple gun emplacements and speedy normalspace drives, frigates served as the happy medium between the nimble corvettes and hulking cruisers. While not as agile as the corvettes, frigates featured above average maneuverability with enough armor and shielding to get the job done. Job descriptions typically ranged from escorting larger vessels from corvette threats to carrying massive siege lasers that decimate enemy shields.

Crew was almost always at least twice that of a Corvette unless an Artificial Intelligence module was installed, though these are rare on smaller classes of ship. But while the frigate is a well enough asset on its own, fleet commanders soon realized their fragility due to their versatility and commissioned a variant that was commonly referred to as the Assault Frigate, designed to function more as a cheaper Cruiser than its former variety of roles. Assault Frigates crammed many cruiser weapons into their small chassis, making for a very effective and non cost prohibitive alternative to larger ships, albeit having a shorter list of specializations.

A frigate armed with higher grade weapons, designed to duke it out with larger ships but maintain the speed and manueverability that comes with the smaller class. They were typically used to screen larger ships against flanking cruisers and the like

A less common class, cruisers formed the backbone of many a fleet. Commanded by seasoned crews and mounting correspondingly advanced weaponry, the class originated from a need for higher quality assault ship that would be guaranteed to survive long into engagements and even into additional battles without repairs or resupplying. Oftentimes referred to as 'ships of the line' due to their higher than average expense, cruisers functioned well as 'lone wolves' and could accommodate high ranking fleet officers; as a result many a battle had been fought with an admiral at the helm of one as opposed to larger but more bulky Carriers or Dreadnoughts that enemy ships knew to concentrate fire on.

While not as maneuverable as Corvettes or Frigates, the class still typically featured an intimidating drive capable of elaborate evasive maneuvers. Cruisers carried a variety of heavy hitting weapons, but those equipped with thundering higher caliber guns were often referred to as Battlecruisers, though they sacrificed most of their agility in order to produce the power needed to fire them. As a result, most Battlecruisers were designed with thick armor plating to make the most of this disadvantage.

Larger and more heavily armored than battlecruisers, but smaller than Juggernauts or "Super" Battleships, these vessels occupy a space in the middle of any fleet hierarchy. Intended to destroy cruisers and other battleships, these vessels are normally used as the backbone of many a fleet. While limited in combat against smaller vessels, battleships are large enough to shrug off most of the damage that these vessels can do. Often, these are outfitted for planetary assaults, carrying troops, dropships, and orbit-to-surface weaponry.

Smaller classes are vulnerable. Juggernaut laughs at their pitiful excuses for weapons and armor. The second largest ship ever fielded by any known fleet, Juggernauts featured tremendous thickness of armor plating just in case the entire enemy fleet manages to punch a hole or two in their equally powerful shields. Second only in cost to the massive Dreadnoughts, they were oftentimes reserved for the commanding officers of large fleets who desired the protection afforded by the humongous craft crewed by a large complement of experienced staff members; not including a corresponding marine attachment for capturing enemy vessels or defending the ship from being boarded itself. In fact, the lumbering vessel was a prime target for the aforementioned boarding parties and nimble Combat Corvettes due to its almost nonexistent agility, but this shouldn't have been a problem with a supporting fleet of frigates and/or cruisers.

A Juggernaut's primary directive was the destruction of capitol ships that may pose a threat to the fleet it presides over. Many Juggernauts were equipped with an AI to take control of the multiple weapon banks, leaving only the heaviest weapons to gunnery crews stationed throughout the ship. Had the AI core been disabled by any means, a Juggernaut would have be crippled. A variant was the Carrier, which exclusively used starfighters as its only offensive capability. Though it mounted heavy cannons and a screen of flak turrets, Carriers were more often than not designed to be stationed on the rim of the battle, and consequently relied on a supporting fleet more than the standard Juggernaut. Many fleet officers prefered being stationed on a Carrier due to its distance from the heat of the battle and its serendipitous ability to flee more quickly than any other ship participating in the engagement.

The rarest ship class in all known flotillas, its introduction stemmed from a desire to take on entire fleets at once and induce a negative psychological effect on enemy crewmen, and otherwise be a symbol of an empire's might. Known to have drained entire star systems of resources in order to be constructed, the sight of an enemy superdreadnought warping in typically signified the beginning of the end for opposing warships. In fact, many admirals had been known to pull back entirely due to the class's reputation. Usually equipped with the best technology a faction has available, they were armed to the teeth with heavy weapons and an even larger network of smaller caliber guns for boarding craft, fighters, and the occasional pesky corvette. The massive reactors necessary for powering said weapons could have proved a prime target, with catastrophic results.

The crew capacity of most dreadnoughts scaled upwards of 500 of the best the constructor's navy can offer. The exact number of these fearsome ships is unknown due to the various factions concealing how many they have built for a tactical edge in upcoming battles. It was, however, a rarity for more than one, if any, to exist in smaller realms. A Dreadnought could coordinate several fleets at once and has many destructive capabilities, so they were deployed sparingly.

Serving as mobile stations and service platforms, carriers are large, well-armored, but very lightly-armed vessels intended to carry fighter wings and bomber groups. Normally a fleet's command vessel, carriers rely on their shields, armor, and escort vessels to defend from threats. Supercarriers, simply upscaled carriers, are used as mbile repair and refit stations for long campaigns, and as planetary assault ships for invasions.

Titans were more of mobile space stations if anything, but that did not in anyway belittle the awe or terror inspired by one joining a battle in stalemate. Officially, only three factions had been capable of gathering the resources to construct just the rigging of these behemoths on record, but with galaxy-wide conflict, several parties managed to conjure up the necessary materials to manufacture these heavily armored superweapons through lucrative alliances or outright thievery. In any case, the sight of a Titan was one to behold, and one an individual would not soon forget, provided they should live through the encounter.

Essentially, the design philosophy of Titans consisted of building a veritable superweapon, such as an atomized railgun or plasma burst, then padding that spacegun with as much weapons and armor as possible and tacking on the thrusters necessary to ensure proper movement. However, as these were essentially mobile starbases, the amount of power fed to the engines drew was extraordinary. As a result, Titans were built with the few weapons it was capable of mounting on the bow so as to maximize its damage potential.

This, however, made this classification sloppy in major fleet engagements, as they were all but unable to defend themselves efficiently at many angles. As such, they required a large supporting fleet in order to bring the hurt to the enemy without risking the destruction of the ship. With this hindrance in mind, many admirals stationed the Titan, should one have been available, at the rear of the frontline, to act as something of an artillery unit and provide fire support to an advancing fleet.

Battlestars are either battlecruiser or battleship hulls, with modifications and space made for th eaddition of flightdecks and fighter wings. An amalgamation of carriers and battleships, these vessels are used to fill both roles when there is a lack of materials available.